Method of assembling a relay



1960 M. G. NELSEN 2,962,804

mom or ASSEMBLING A RELAY Original Filed Nov. 8, 1954 /6 V x A 20 o 46 Y in O o 1* CIA LIE u [go 5 24 /a i {1 2 76. 2.

United States Patent 0.

METHOD or ASSEMBLING A RELAY Marvin G. Nelsen, La Canada, Califl, assignor to Leach Corporation, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Original application Nov. 8, 1954, Ser. No. 467,295. now Patent No. 2.852.639, dated Sept. 16, 1958. Divided and this application Apr. 7, 1958, Ser. No. 726,854

1 Claim. (Cl. 29-15555) This invention relates to relays and, more particularly, to an improvement in hermetically sealed relays and the manufacture thereof.

This application is a division of application by this inventor, Serial No. 467.295, filed November 8, 1954, now Patent No. 2,852,639, for a Relay.

A feature of this invention is the provision of a method of assembling contacts in a hermetically sealed relay.

Certain features of the invention are achieved in a hermetically sealed relay of the type wherein contacts are assembled to terminals which extend through a header. The magnetic structure and moving contact structure, as well as the stationary contact structure, are all enclosed in a can which is sealed at one end to the header. The magnetic structure consists of a solenoid which operates on an armature which is centrally pivoted. The movable contacts are also centrally pivoted and positioned to be pushed against the stationary contacts on one side or the other, dependent upon whether the armature is pivoted into its operating position by the solenoid or released and pivoted into a nonoperating position by a compression spring. Both movable and stationary contacts each are made from single pieces of material which are cut and scored so that a unitary piece may be properly assembled to a plurality of the header terminals rapidly. After the unitary pieces are fastened, the scored portions are simply removed, thus leaving a plurality of separate current-carrying contact springs and contact terminals assembled in place. This operation heretofore required each current-carrying spring and contact to be assembled individually and separately into position and then adjusted, in order to achieve proper operation. By this invention, this time-consuming and pains-taking process is entirely eliminated. A further saving in time and material is made by directly mechanically fastening the stationary contacts, as well as the movable contacts, to the terminals that protrude through the header to enable external connections to the contacts.

The novel features that are considered characteristic of this invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claim. The invention itself, both as to its organization and method of operation, as well as additional objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a cross-section of an embodiment of this invention;

Figure 2 is a view along the plane 22 of Figure 1, showing the movable contact assembly in the embodiment of the invention;

Figure 3 is a view along the plane 33 of Figure 1, showing the stationary contact assembly in the embodiment of the invention; and

Figures 4, 5 and 6, respectively, show how the contact springs are punched out initially with the scored portions to enable simple and time-saving assembly of the relay contacts.

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Referring now to Figure 1, there is shown an embodiment of the invention in cross section. This includes a header 10, through which protrude contact pins 12. These pins atlord external connection with the contacts of the relay which are hermetically sealed. The header 10 is hermetically sealed in well-known manner to a can 14 after the internal assembly has been completed. A solenoid coil 16 is afiixed to the bottom end of the can. A hook 18, also afiixed to the same end of the can, affords a means for connecting thereto a tension spring 20. The other end of the spring is connected to an armature 22, which pivots about a bearing shaft 24. The solenoid, when energized by means of leads (not shown), establishes a magnetic field which pulls up on the left side of the armature, thus depressing the right side.

When the solenoid is unenergized, the spring restores the armature to its initial position, in which the right side is pulled up and the left side is depressed.

In being operated in this fashion, the armature acts upon four movable contacts 26, which may better be seen in Figure 2. These movable contacts consist of a current-carrying contact spring 28, and at either end of the spring is a contact button 30. These movable contacts are previously soldered to a bushing 32. This type of bushing is shown more clearly in Figure 6. A hole in the contact spring at the soldered portion insures that the solder connection is a good one. The end portion 33 of each contact pin is flattenedflas may be seen from the cross-sectional view of Figure land the perspective view of Figure 6. Thus, when the movable contactsfour of which are formed of a single piece of material and have the bushings soldered thereto-are pushed over the proper contact pins, the flattened portions of the pins grip and hold the bushings and contacts securely. The stationary contacts 34, four of which are formed from a unitary piece of material, each include a current-carrying spring 38 having a contact button 40 mounted on one end and a hole on the other end by means of which it is soldered firmly to a bushing 32. The contact pins associated with the stationary contacts also have their ends flattened so that, when the stationary contacts and bushings are forced down on the contact pins, the bushings are held securely.

In the assemblage of a system of this sort heretofore, it has been necessary to individually mount each of the contacts on a support. Thereafter, the mounted contacts had to be adjusted individually until the proper alignment was made between the movable and fixed contacts. Then, they had to be held until a soldering operation was performed. This entailed considerable labor and the use and handling of a large number of very small parts in the assemblage of the relay. I have found that by forming the movable contacts in the manner shown in Figures 4 and 6 and the stationary contacts in the manner shown in Figure 5 there is an elimination of a considerable number of the small parts required heretofore, as well as problems of alignment and soldering.

As shown in Figure 4, the movable contacts are made up from one piece of the contact spring material, wherein the spacing between the springs, as well as the holes required, are punched out. The material 42 at the ends of the contact springs is left in place; however, it is scored as represented by the dotted lines so that it may be broken away easily. Thus, the contact buttons 40 are put in place, the bushings are soldered in place, and the contact springs are positioned over the respective pins as a unit and forced down, whereby the four springs are secured in place in the proper position without further adjustments. The scored material is then broken away.

As shown in Figure 5, four of the stationary contacts similarly are formed from a single piece of material, with the required openings being stamped in the contact spring 3 and the excess spring material 44 still being left in place but being heavily scored. Thus, after contact buttons and bushings are mounted, the two sets of stationary contacts are easily assembled on the pins to which they are assigned. The scored material is broken away and no further adjustment is "required.

It will be noted from Figure 6 that the movable contact springs are given a curve, which tends to edge them away from the fixed contacts when they are mounted in the relay. This curve, in addition to the force provided by operation of the armature, insures a positive and rapid break of the contacts when such operation is indicated.

It should be readily apparent from the above that a considerable saving and handling alignment and final is made when the contacts are formed as described herein. A further feature of the present invention is that the armature is balanced, and, in combination with the contact structure formed as described herein, is capable of withstanding high-frequency vibration, shock, and acceleration. The relay in Figure 1 is shown in a de-energized position, with the spring pulling up on the armature so that it closes the contacts on the left side of the drawing. Because of this balanced armature construction, forces which are applied thereto are neutralized. A positive force is provided by the returned spring 20, which holds the contacts closed in the de-energized position. Although the relay illustrating the invention has four double-pole, double-throw positions, it will be appreciated that as many more or less, as are desired, may be used without departing from the spirit of this invention.

-1 claim:

In a relay the method of assembling a plurality of movable contacts, and a first and second plurality of fixed relay contacts respectively to a center plurality of contact pins and a first and second plurality of contact pins positioned respectively on both sides of said center plurality of contact pins, said method comprising flattening a portion of every one of said contact p.ns near one of its ends, forming to have a curved shape the separate current-carrying springs for said plurality of movable contacts from a single piece of metal while leaving sufiicient metal attached by a weakened area at one end to enable handling said current-carrying springs as a unitary piece, attaching a bushing to substantially the center of each of said current-carrying springs, respectively forming the current-carrying springs of said first plurality of relay contacts and said second plurality of relay contacts from single pieces of metal while leaving suificient metal attached by a weakened area to one end to enable handling said respective current-carrying springs as unitary pieces, attaching a bushing to one side of each of the current-carrying springs for said first and second pluralities of fixed relay contacts, sliding said respective bushings of said first pluarlity of fixed relay contacts over the flattened end portions of each of said first plurality of contact pins to be held thereby, sliding said respective bushings of said second plurality of fixed relay contacts over the flattened end portions of each of said second plurality of contact pins to be held thereby, sliding References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,365,698 Hai'gh Dec. 26, 1944 2,650,957 Cohen Sept. 1, 1953 2,749,403 Horman et a1 June 5, 1956 

